Racing thoughts - Wikipedia

Racing thoughts refers to the rapid thought patterns that often occur in manic, hypomanic, or mixed episodes. While racing thoughts are most commonly ... Racingthoughts FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch Mentalprocess Racingthoughtsreferstotherapidthoughtpatternsthatoftenoccurinmanic,hypomanic,ormixedepisodes.Whileracingthoughtsaremostcommonlydescribedinpeoplewithbipolardisorderandsleepapnea,theyarealsocommonwithanxietydisorders,OCD,andotherpsychiatricdisorderssuchasattentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder.Racingthoughtsarealsoassociatedwithsleepdeprivation,[1]hyperthyroidism[2]andtheuseofamphetamines. Contents 1Description 2Associatedconditions 2.1Anxietydisorders 2.2Bipolardisorder 2.3Amphetamines 2.4Attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder 2.5Lackofsleep 2.6Hyperthyroidism 3Frequency 4Treatment 5Seealso 6References Description[edit] Racingthoughtsmaybeexperiencedasbackgroundortakeoveraperson'sconsciousness.Thoughts,music,andvoicesmightbezoomingthroughone'smindastheyjumptangentiallyfromonetothenext.[3]Therealsomightbearepetitivepatternofvoiceorofpressurewithoutanyassociated"sound".Itisaveryoverwhelmingandirritatingfeeling,andcanresultinlosingtrackoftime.Insomecases,itmayalsobefrighteningtothepersonexperiencingit,asthereisalossofcontrol.Ifoneisexperiencingthesethoughtsatnightwhengoingtosleep,theymaysuddenlyawaken,startledandconfusedbytheveryrandomandsuddennatureofthethoughts. Racingthoughtsdifferinmanifestationaccordingtotheindividual'sperspective.Thesemanifestationscanvaryfromunnoticedorminordistractionstodebilitatingstress,preventingthesuffererfrommaintainingathought.[4] Generally,racingthoughtsaredescribedbyanindividualwhohashadanepisodewheretheminduncontrollablybringsuprandomthoughtsandmemoriesandswitchesbetweenthemveryquickly.Sometimestheyarerelated,asonethoughtleadstoanother;othertimestheyseemcompletelyrandom.Apersonsufferingfromanepisodeofracingthoughtshasnocontrolovertheirtrainofthought,anditstopsthemfromfocusingononetopicorpreventssleeping. Associatedconditions[edit] Thecausesofracingthoughtsaremostoftenassociatedwithanxietydisorders,butmanyinfluencescancausetheserapid,racingthoughts.Therearealsomanyassociatedconditions,inadditiontoanxietydisorders,whichcanbeclassifiedashavingsecondaryrelationshipswithcausingracingthoughts.Theconditionsmostcommonlylinkedtoracingthoughtsarebipolardisorder,anxietydisorder,attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder,sleepdeprivation,amphetaminedependence,andhyperthyroidism. Anxietydisorders[edit] Racingthoughtsassociatedwithanxietydisorderscanbecausedbymanydifferentconditions,suchasobsessive–compulsivedisorder(OCD),panicdisorder,generalizedanxietydisorder,orposttraumaticstressdisorder. InpeoplewithOCD,racingthoughtscanbebroughtonbystressors,ortriggers,causingdisturbingthoughtsintheindividual.Thesedisturbingthoughts,then,resultincompulsionscharacterizingOCDinordertolowerthestressandgainsomesortofcontroloverthesestressful,racingthoughts.[5] Panicdisorderisananxietydisordercharacterizedbyrepeatedpanicattacksoffearornervousness,lastingseveralminutes.[6]Duringthesepanicattacks,theresponseisoutofproportiontothesituation.Theracingthoughtsmayfeelcatastrophicandintense,buttheyareasymptomofthepanicattackandmustbecontrolledinordertosoothethepanicandminimizethepanicattack.[7] Generalizedanxietydisorderisaneurologicalanxietydisorderthatinvolvesuncontrollableandexcessiveworryingaboutirrationaltopicsorproblems.ThesestressfulthoughtsmustbepresentforatleastsixmonthsinordertobediagnosedasGAD.[8]Alongwithothersymptoms,racingthoughtsisoneofthemostcommonones.WithGAD,thereisaninabilitytorelaxorletthoughtsorworriesgo,persistentworryingandobsessionsaboutsmallconcernsthatareoutofproportiontotheresult,andevenworryingabouttheirexcessiveworrying.[9] Bipolardisorder[edit] Racingthoughtscanbebroughtonbybipolardisorder,definedbymoodinstabilitythatrangefromextremeemotionalhighs,mania,toseveredepression.[10]Duringthemanicphaseofbipolardisorderiswhenracingthoughtsusuallyoccur.Disjointed,constantlychangingthoughtswithnounderlyingthemecanbeasignofthemanicphaseofbipolardisorder.[11]Manicthoughtscanpreventperformanceofdailyroutinesduetotheirrapid,unfocusedandoverwhelmingnature.Racingthoughtsinpeoplewithbipolardisorderaregenerallyaccompaniedwithothersymptomsassociatedwiththisdisorder. Amphetamines[edit] Amphetaminesareusedasastimulanttotriggerthecentralnervoussystem,increasingheartrateandbloodpressurewhiledecreasingappetite.[12]Sinceamphetaminesareastimulant,useofthesedrugsresultinastatethatresemblesthemanicphaseofbipolardisorderandalsoproducessimilarsymptoms,asstatedabove. Attentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder[edit] RacingthoughtsassociatedwithADHDismostcommoninadults.WithADHD,racingthoughtscanoccurandtendtocauseinsomnia.[13]RacingthoughtsinpeoplewithADHDtendtoberapid,unstablethoughtswhichdonotfollowanysortofpattern,similartoracingthoughtsinpeoplewithbipolardisorder.MedicationsusedtotreatADHD,suchasAdderallorMethylphenidate,canbeprescribedtopatientswithADHDtocalmtheseracingthoughts,[14]mostcommonlyinthemorningwhenpeoplewakeupbutjustaswellintheeveningbeforesleep.[15] Lackofsleep[edit] Racingthoughts,alsoreferredtoas"racingmind",maypreventapersonfromfallingasleep.Chronicsleepapneaandprolongeddisturbedsleeppatternsmayalsoinduceracingthoughts.TreatmentforsleepapneaandobstructiveairwaydisordercanimproveairflowandimprovesleepresultinginimprovedbrainandREMfunctionandreducedracingthoughtpatterns. Hyperthyroidism[edit] Hyperthyroidismisaconditioninwhichthethyroidglandproducestoomuchthyroidhormone,thyroxin.[16]Thisoverabundanceofthyroxincausesirregularandrapidheartbeat,irritability,weightloss,nervousness,anxietyandracingthoughts.[17] Theanxietyandinabilitytofocusisverycommoninhyperthyroidismandleadstoracingthoughts,aswellaspanicattacksanddifficultyconcentrating.[18] Frequency[edit] Anxietydisorder,themostcommonmentalillnessintheUnitedStates,affects40millionpeople,ages10andolder;thisaccountsfor18%oftheU.S.population.Mostpeoplesufferingfromanxietydisorderreportsomeformofracingthoughtssymptom[19] TheprevalenceofOCDineveryculturestudiedisatleast2%ofthepopulation,andthemajorityofthosehaveobsessions,orracingthoughts.Withthesereportings,estimatesofmorethan2millionpeopleintheUnitedStates(asof2000)sufferfromracingthoughts.[20] Treatment[edit] Therearevarioustreatmentsavailabletocalmracingthoughts,someofwhichinvolvemedication.Onetypeoftreatmentinvolveswritingoutthethoughtsontopaper.[21]Sometreatmentssuggestusingactivities,suchaspainting,cooking,andotherhobbies,tokeepthemindbusyanddistractfromtheracingthoughts.Exercisemaybeusedtotiretheperson,therebycalmingtheirmind.[4]Whenracingthoughtsareanxietyinducedduringpanicoranxietyattacks,itisrecommendedthatthepersonwaititout.[4]Usingbreathingandmeditationtechniquestocalmthebreathandmindsimultaneouslyisanothertoolforhandlingracingthoughtsinducedbyanxietyattacks.Mindfulnessmeditationhasalsoshowntohelpwithracingthoughtsbyallowingpractitionerstofacetheirthoughtshead-on,withoutreacting.[22] Whileallofthesetechniquescanbeusefultocopewithracingthoughts,itmayprovenecessarytoseekmedicalattentionandcounsel.Sinceracingthoughtsareassociatedwithmanyotherunderlyingmentalillnesses,suchasbipolardisorder,anxietydisorder,andADHD,medicationsusedcommonlytotreatthesedisorderswillhelpcalmracingthoughtsinpatients.[23] Treatmentfortheunderlyingcausesofracingthoughtsishelpfulandusefulinordertocalmtheracingthoughtsmorepermanently.Forexample,inpeoplewithADHD,medicationsusedtopromotefocusandcalmdistractingthoughts,willhelpthemwiththeirADHD. Someobstructiveairwaydisordersmayberelievedwithnasalseptoplastywhichcanimprovesleepandleadtoareductionofracingmind. Insomniamayincreaseracingthoughtsandthoseeffectedwillfindsleepapneatreatmentandnasalsurgeryhelpfultoeliminatetheirracingthoughts. Itisimportanttolookattheunderlyingdefectthatmaybecausingracingthoughtsinordertopreventtheminthelong-term. Seealso[edit] Flightofideas Intrusivethoughts Pressureofspeech Sleepapnea Tachypsychia Impulsecontroldisorder Mixedaffectivestate Moodswing References[edit] ^"Amphetamines".Archivedfromtheoriginalon2008-07-21. ^"Hypothyroidism:SymptomsandTreatmentsofHypothyroidDisease-Part1:Introduction,Causes,andSymptomsofHypothyroidism".Archivedfromtheoriginalon2014-11-12.Retrieved2014-11-11. ^Fritscher,LisaFritscher(February26,2012)."RacingThoughtsDefined".About.comPhobias.About.com.RetrievedJune11,2014. ^abc"HowtoStopRacingThoughtsFromAnxiety".calmclinic.com.CalmClinic.2014.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember11,2014.RetrievedNovember7,2014. ^Fraser,Michael(2014)."ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder".MichaelFraser,Ph.D.TherapySites.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember29,2014.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^Katz,Marina(February20,2012)."PanicDisorder".webMD.webMD.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember11,2014.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^Tartakovsky,Margarita(2011)."HowtoHaltandMinimizePanicAttacks".PsychCentral.PsychCentral.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember29,2014.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^Torpy,JanetM.;Burke,AE;Golub,RM(2011)."GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder".JAMA.305(5):522.doi:10.1001/jama.305.5.522.PMID 21285432. ^MayoClinicStaff(September25,2014)."GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder".MayoClinic.MayoFoundationforMedicalEducationandResearch.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember11,2014.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^"Whatisbipolardisorder?".NationalInstituteofMentalHealth.NIH.2014.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonAugust5,2018.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^Frye,Mark(May31,2009)."Racingthoughtscanbesignofmood,anxietydisorder".ChicagoTribune.MayoClinic.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember19,2014.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^"Amphetamine".drugs.com.CernerMultum.April12,2009.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember11,2014.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^Keedle,Jayne(October30,2010)."ADHDCanAffectAdultsToo".timesunion.HearstNewspapers.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember29,2014.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^Quinn,Patricia(May10,2014)."ADHDMedicationChart".webMD.webMD.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^Vega,Charles(March26,2008)."StimulantImprovesSleepinAdultWithADHD".Medscape.Medscape.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonOctober13,2019.RetrievedAugust7,2019. ^"Hyperthyroidism(overactivethyroid)".MayoClinic.MayoFoundationforMedicalEducationandResearch.2014.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember12,2014.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^Jamrog,KarenA.(May2013)."TreatingandUnderstandingThyroidDisease".nhmagazine.McLeanCommunications.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember29,2014.RetrievedNovember11,2014. ^Shomon,Mary(August11,2014)."RisksandSymptomsofGraves'DiseaseandHyperthyroidism".aboutHealth.About.com.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonDecember2,2014.RetrievedNovember16,2014. ^"Facts&Statistics".AnxietyandDepressionAssociationofAmerica.ADAA.2014.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonOctober26,2014.RetrievedNovember10,2014. ^Baer,Lee(2001).TheImpoftheMind:ExploringtheSilentEpidemicofObsessiveBadThoughts.NewYork:Dutton.ISBN 0-525-94562-8. ^Star,Katharine(March7,2014)."PanicDisorderandRacingThoughts".aboutHealth.About.com.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember11,2014.RetrievedNovember8,2014. ^Wegela,KarenKissel(January19,2010)."TheCouragetoBePresent".PsychologyToday.SussexPublishers.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonFebruary2,2021.RetrievedNovember8,2014. ^Davis,JeanieLerche(January22,2010)."Anxiety&PanicDisordersHealthCenter".webMD.webMD.com.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonNovember10,2014.RetrievedNovember10,2014. vteMooddisorderSpectrumBipolardisorder BipolarI BipolarII Cyclothymia BipolarNOS Childhood Hypomania Mania Mixedaffectivestate Rapidcycling Depression Majordepressivedisorder Dysthymia Seasonalaffectivedisorder Atypicaldepression Melancholicdepression Majordepressiveepisode Comorbidities Schizoaffectivedisorder Symptoms Delusion Depression(differentialdiagnoses) Emotionaldysregulation Anhedonia Dysphoria Suicidalideation Hallucination Moodswing Sleepdisorder Hypersomnia Insomnia Psychosis Psychoticdepression Racingthoughts Reducedaffectdisplay Diagnosis BipolarSpectrumDiagnosticScale ChildManiaRatingScale GeneralBehaviorInventory HypomaniaChecklist MoodDisorderQuestionnaire Ratingscalesfordepression YoungManiaRatingScale TreatmentAnticonvulsants Carbamazepine Lamotrigine Oxcarbazepine Valproate Sodiumvalproate Valproatesemisodium Sympathomimetics,SSRIsandsimilar Bupropion Dextroamphetamine Escitalopram Fluoxetine Methylphenidate Sertraline Othermoodstabilizers Antipsychotics Atypicalantipsychotics Lithium Lithiumcarbonate Lithiumcitrate Lithiumsulfate Lithiumtoxicity Non-pharmaceutical Clinicalpsychology Cognitivebehavioraltherapy Dialecticalbehaviortherapy Electroconvulsivetherapy Involuntarycommitment Lighttherapy Psychotherapy Transcranialmagneticstimulation History EmilKraepelin FrederickK.Goodwin JohnCade KarlLeonhard KayRedfieldJamison MogensSchou Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Racing_thoughts&oldid=1106859196" Categories:BipolardisorderSymptomsandsignsofmentaldisordersHiddencategories:ArticleswithshortdescriptionShortdescriptionmatchesWikidata Navigationmenu Personaltools NotloggedinTalkContributionsCreateaccountLogin Namespaces ArticleTalk English Views ReadEditViewhistory More Search Navigation MainpageContentsCurrenteventsRandomarticleAboutWikipediaContactusDonate Contribute HelpLearntoeditCommunityportalRecentchangesUploadfile Tools WhatlinkshereRelatedchangesUploadfileSpecialpagesPermanentlinkPageinformationCitethispageWikidataitem Print/export DownloadasPDFPrintableversion Languages EspañolPolskiPortuguêsРусскийTürkçeاردو Editlinks